Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1887-02-24

the house and the knocking on the
outer side of the house became so
.tnmultuous that one could feel vio-
lent jarring by pressing the hand to
the opposite side. The ceiling was at
tackled with such energy that large
pieces of the plaster fell to the floor.
On one occasion while Miss Katie
was arranging her toilet, the wall
beside her dressing case was
struck with great violence, and the inn
print Of a clenched fist was left behind
and is still visible in the plaster. The
agency was expressing in its own way,
desire to be communicated with and
this desire was ultimately granted, and
the physician and others who. had
come, II not to scoff, at least to doubt,
were at once confronted with material
evidence of an unseen intelligence that
they could not distrust. DIR. Bowen,
who is of a very positive nervous or
ganizm, q gentleman the reverse of inn
pressible, had some experience with
the toy planchette and other mediums,
through which spirits are said to make
known their presence and wishes, and
he easily devised method by which
the intelligence of the agency could be
put to a thorough test. 1t was agreed
that the letters of the alphabet should
be called i'm their proper order, and
that upon rap from the spirit any
particular letter thus designated would
be set down to be followed by Others,
until words and sentences were put to-
gether. 1t was further arranged that
in answering questions requiring an
affirmative or negative answer, three
raps should indicate YES and two
i raps should stand for NO. .
Thus equipped with means of COM
| municati0n, DIR. Bowen and select
company of skeptical friends were in
position to interrogate the dead.
"What is your name? was the first
question. f.
Emmanuel Rudisill, }" was spelled out
in the method indicated above. The
conversation proceeded and was con-
Quoted on the part of the spirit or
agency with an alacrity which was far
greater than that which Mr.. Rudisill
displayed in his life time. The spirit
was constantly displaying an anxiety
to make known its wants, and when
the questions would stop q terrible
clatter would ensue until they were
commenced again.
The agency, whatever it was. con-
tinued. 1t is said that it was not under
the dominion of the Almighty; had no
other home than that house, and was
sent there by the Devil
All of this strange message, and much
more, was delivered with so much pre-.
cision by the spirit that the Doctor
: failed, utterly, in one or two attempts
| tNa hryc oh that Iattnn In
the answer which he knew the context
! would not require. AT such times the
spirit would exhibit its vexation by
pounding and would not relax its efforts
until the alphabet was called ovel
again and correctly.
The physician, with proper regard
for the health of that person who was
most seriously affected by her surround
I ing, had Miss Katie removed to tht
i house ofa friend, where she is now un
: molested.
: Before her removal the family sough
4 relief In the minlstrationso of the church
!; and the worthy pastor of the churcl
= where the family worshipped came will
some of Mr.. Rudisiil's fellow member
in the hope that their presence Nigh
+ help to relieve the family of the annoy
s ance caused by the persistent visit o
- ther importunate guest. Prayer servi
! ces were held in the house; but the ap
y y peals to the Almighty were ungracious
: ly interrupted by the most vigorou
:, pounding. The faces of the good pee
:, pie blanched with fear, and only th
= pastor has since returned to continu
- the work that had been so unsatisfac
: torily begun.
= This astonishing recital might b
), greatly prolonged and with equal If no
y increased interest. 1t should be said
!, however, that the house has never bee
y entirely free from these strange mani
y festations since Emanuel Rudisill died
= that they have always attended Mis-
Katie to a greater or less degree whe
Nc she was at home, and that once
4 when she was visiting her father q
,f Windsor, Missouri, and again, since tn
4; physician has taken her to other quar-
= ters, they ceased almost altogether
~ They are heard now much more infre
% quently.
y With but single other observation
- this article will close. On one occasio
10 of one of his midnight calls at the farm
- house, DR.. Bowen fastened his horse a
u distance of 100 feet from the building
4 but when the manifestations were mos
y noisy and violent, the animal becam
I, seized with great fear, and endeavore
y to tear loose from his fastenings. Hi
d man intelligence, no more than brut
y A. instinct, was subject to these strang
Il proceedings, and the DOCTORS hors
q like Tom O'Shanter's mare, had n
@ ,s liking for things SO uncanny.